FredNats: Infante has 3 hits in loss to Salem

By Eric Bach
Fredericksburg Nationals

On Wednesday, May 25, Sammy Infante had three hits and scored both FredNat runs, Yoander Rivero had both RBIs, but the FredNats lost the second game of the series 8-2 to the Salem Red Sox at Virginia Credit Union Stadium in Fredericksburg.

2018 first-round pick Mason Denaburg made his first appearance since August of 2019 after two surgeries and pitched 2+ innings while allowing four hits and four earned runs. Denaburg had a 1-2-3 1st inning but ran into trouble with two outs in the 2nd. He was replaced in the 3rd inning by Bryan Peña, who got out of a bases-loaded, nobody out jam unscathed. Denaburg threw 51 pitches and consistently had his fastball in the mid-90s.

Infante scored runs on RBIs by Rivero in the 2nd and 9th innings. Allan Berrios and Infante both had doubles, and Brady House had two singles for the FredNats. Jeremy De La Rosa also singled.

Bryan Caceres pitched four innings of relief after his start was skipped to give way to Stephen Strasburg’s rehab appearance, and he gave up three earned runs on four hits. Tyler Schoff pitched a scoreless inning as well.

Phillip Sikes had two home runs and four RBIs for Salem to pace the Red Sox (21-20), who have now won four games in a row. Juan Encarnacion earned his third win of the season, pitching five innings and allowing just one run.

With Lynchburg’s loss and Carolina’s win, the Mudcats are now alone in first place in the Carolina League North Division, with less than a month left in the first half. The FredNats (20-20) are 2.5 games out of first place.

Fredericksburg will send RHP Rodney Theophile (3-1, 1.66 ERA) to the mound tomorrow to try and win their first game in the series. Theophile is currently 2nd in the Carolina League in ERA. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Virginia Credit Union Stadium on Thirsty Thursday, May 26, and tickets are still available at frednats.com/tickets.